Menlo Park: Some landlords soon to be required to offer 12-month leases

This sounds great but if I find a cheaper apartment or must move elsewhere, does this mean I cannot move until the lease ends or I must pay for the entire year. I have had friends move back to Germany and Italy when their contract at Stanford ended. They don't want a full year lease. Is there provisions for this in the provisions? What are the provisions the renter must agree to?

Joan:
The short answer is yes, you are locked in for 12 months unless an agreement is reached with the landlord. This is great for landlords and lawyers. Guarantee rent for 12 months even if you lose your job. If you can't pay you are sued for the balance of the lease payments. Great job MP Council!

The landlord is required to offer a 12 month lease. But the renter and the landlord can which an alternative agreement under the ordinance.

The landlord is required to offer a 12 month lease. But the renter can reject it and the landlord can reach an alternative agreement under the ordinance. @nolawyer did you do any research at all before writing your post?

this will have zero effect on high rents and low supply. Nor will it do anything thing interns of 'displacement'.

Good work for doing basically nothing. most rental leases are already for a year term. It is obvious that the city council is made up of of home owners who have zero clue about the rental market.

A very simple solution to the rental housing market...we need rent control. A 12 month lease isn't the answer to our problem...it could create more problems for tenants. Rent control limits how often and how much a landlord can increase the rent. The Council needs to talk to other cities that have rent control before making policies.

MPer is classically chastising the outcome without any research. The lease will keep any rental apartments from becoming month-by-month arrangements against the will of the renter. This is important. It also allows some control to the renter as they will have ample time to plan for the end of the lease -- and any changes that may result from that end. I don't know why the arbitration was kicked to the housing commission as it seems very benign. I expect to see more protections from council as well.